WEST HAMPTON DUNES, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) — A Long Island beach remained closed to swimmers Wednesday following shark sightings off the coast.

A section of West Hampton Dunes was originally closed Tuesday afternoon after several sharks were spotted near the shore. Authorities were forced to keep the area closed until further notice after the sharks were spotted again Wednesday.

Authorities are also investigating the possibility of a connection between the sharks and a dead seal found on the beach.

West Hampton Dunes police Sgt. Tim Turner said reports of sharks in the water came in around 3 p.m. Tuesday. There were about 50 people on the beach at the time.

“It took me about three years to go swimming after seeing ‘Jaws.’ This could be another 30 years before I go back in,” beachgoer Steve Schachner told CBS 2’s Katie Fehlinger.

The dorsal fins of six to eight sharks floating on the water’s surface at Cupsogue Beach brought mixed reaction.

“It’s awesome because they’re so close to the beach, but I’m pretty happy I wasn’t in the water at that time,” beachgoer Arnold Perlman said.

Turner said there were several sharks within 15 feet of the shore line. They looked to be about 18 feet long. Some onlookers thought they were thresher sharks, but officials have yet to determine the breed.

“It is usual to see those types of sharks this time of year because the warmer weather brings in plankton. It’s a little closer to the shoreline and the big fish come in and swallow it,” West Hampton Dunes Mayor Gray Vegliante said.

Vegliante said while the county doesn’t know their breed, these sharks were definitely not acting like predators.

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